It's finally spring and it has been a wonderful start to the year for the School.

Firstly, we are delighted to announce that, following a visit to the Business School in December, we have been successful in obtaining re-accreditation to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). You may be aware that we are one of an elite group of schools worldwide to carry three internationally recognised quality assurances (AASCB, AMBA and EQUIS), a testament to the calibre of the School and an endorsement of the exceptional quality of our programmes. We also eagerly await the decision from the most recent re-accreditation visit, by EQUIS in March.

Secondly, the School received some extremely positive rankings news for both the Full Time and Online MBA programmes. In such a competitive market we are delighted that the Financial Times ranked our Global MBA sixth in the world and our Full-time MBA in the World's Top 100 programmes. We hope to see similar results later in the year regarding our suite of Masters programmes.

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our congratulations to alumnus Weylin Poon who was recently awarded the Worshipful Company of International Bankers' Lombard Prize for 2013. Weylin (MBA 2011/12) received his prize of £1500 and a commemorative silver salver at the annual banquet of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers at the Guildhall, City of London, on Tuesday 4 March 2014. The Lombard Prize, initiated by Alan Moore CBE in the early 1990's when he was Chairman of the Lombard Association, rewards one outstanding student each year from a university affiliated with the company.

In this edition we focus on the School's careers offering, looking in particular at the career management sessions available to alumni, in addition to the various articles aimed at helping our alumni invest in their future career. Hopefully you will also find the latest round-up of featured jobs and networking opportunities through the School's Local Associations useful.

Finally, remember to check out our upcoming events. We hope to see you at one of them in the near future.

The Alumni Relations Team

'The DUBS Jordan Local Association gathered in Amman over Kunafah, traditional Jordanian sweets, to talk about Durham, the Business School and how alumni can stay in touch with their alma mater. The group also had the pleasure of hosting an alumnus from Thailand (Dr Tawat) who was visiting the country for business'. Jordan Leader, Dr Zu'bi Al-Zu'bi

Local Associations... Reconnecting DUBS Alumni Worldwide

Local Associations are mainly international, as our alumni profile would suggest, and a great way for you to connect with local DUBS alumni to network and share business opportunities, or simply just to socialise and reminisce about your Durham experience.

The groups are overseen by a Local Association Leader who, with the assistance of the Alumni Relations Team and other members, coordinates a range of local events and activities for members to attend. Over the past couple of months several of our groups have organised get-togethers including gatherings in Mexico City, Munich and Sao Paulo. The type of activity very much depends on the members' wishes. Shanghai have been keen to set up regular expert panels to benefit recent graduates and New Delhi recently organised an outdoor adventure to Rishikesh for alumni to bond.

For more information on Local Associations in your area please contact the Alumni Relations Team.

Manage Your Career by Staying Connected

One of the most important moves you can make to keep your career on track is to stay connected. Caroline Ceniza-Levine writing in her Forbes article highlights the importance of connecting with classmates, former colleagues, and old friends.

Let people know what you are doing and more importantly what your aspirations are. You can do this without causing concern to your current employer by talking about the direction you would like your career to go in, rather than the job you are looking for.

You can also keep your career on track by booking a career management session with one of the Business School’s dedicated Careers Consultants. We can help you to think through your next move and ensure you are making the most of our network to identify opportunities to progress. To book a session please email the DUBS Careers Team.

LinkedIn Resources

Most people know how crucial having a LinkedIn account can be to both potential employers and job seekers alike. If you want to stand out at your next interview you need to do your research. In addition to looking at company websites, trade magazines, etc. spend some time on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to get the inside track on the position, your interviewer, the culture and industry trends. It is also important to have an up-to-date profile which sends the right messages to potential employers. If you are looking to improve your own profile or even to get started using LinkedIn take a look at the DUBS Alumni Network resources below:

• ‘Secrets to Getting Hired’ on LinkedIn webinar

• 'Using LinkedIn to develop and strengthen your own professional brand' webinar with Charles Hardy

• ‘125 LinkedIn Job  Search Tips’ eBook

• ‘LinkedIn for Job Seekers’ video

What does ‘investing in your career’ actually mean?

It means you have to spend some time and money on your career. It means taking control of your career and being accountable for your own success. Below are some good examples of how you could make more of an investment career-wise:

1. Build relationships. Create your own circle of influence; find a mentor. Make time to make connections, pay attention to, and nurture, meaningful relationships.

2. Do the career management thing: make a plan, devise some goals. Take time to review your objectives and challenge your own commitment levels daily.

3. Recognise what you are good at and get better at it. Spend time observing yourself and your colleagues in meetings or just day to day and notice what you uniquely bring. Then invest some time and money getting better at it.

Read the full article in the DUBS Careers Newsroom here.